Copolymers

Abstract

A polyacrylate-polyolefin copolymer and composition for volatile solvent-free coating comprising such compounds having the following structure: wherein “PO” is a polyolefin having a number average molecular weight of at least 300 g/mole, and “Ar” is selected from the group consisting of C6 to C20 aryls, a C7 to C32 alkylaryls, a C6 to C20 aryloxys, and halogen substituted C6 to C20 aryls and C7 to C32 alkylaryls, while the other variables are as described herein. The copolymers can be produced in an alkylation reaction between the desired polyacrylate and a vinyl/vinylidene-terminated polyolefin.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A copolymer comprising compounds having the following structure: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein:
 each PO is independently a polyolefin having a number average molecular weight of at least 300 g/mole; 
 n and m are each an integer independently within a range from 1 to 2000; 
 x is an integer from 1 to 4; 
 each R is independently selected from the group consisting of —O—Ar, —O—R″, an amine, and an alkyl amine; 
 each Ar is independently selected from the group consisting of a C6 to C20 aryl, a C7 to C32 alkylaryl, a halogen substituted C6 to C20 aryl and a halogen substituted C7 to C32 alkylaryl; 
 each R″ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C1 to C10 alkyl, and a glycidyl; and 
 each R′ is independently selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a C1 to C10 alkyl. 
 
     
     
       2. The copolymer of  claim 1 , comprising compounds having the following structure: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein: PO, n, m, x, R, and R′ are defined as set forth in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       3. The copolymer of  claim 2 , wherein R is —O—R″, each R″ is independently hydrogen or methyl, and each R′ is independently hydrogen or methyl. 
     
     
       4. The copolymer of  claim 1 , wherein each PO is independently selected from the group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, copolymer of ethylene with one or more linear alpha olefins, propylene homopolymer, copolymer of propylene with one or more linear alpha olefins, isobutylene homopolymer, isobutylene copolymer with one or more conjugated dienes, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       5. The copolymer of  claim 1 , wherein each PO is independently an isotactic or atactic polypropylene having a number average molecular weight within a range from 300 g/mole to 100,000 g/mole. 
     
     
       6. The copolymer of  claim 1 , having a branching, g′ vis avg  (MALLS/3D) of less than 0.90. 
     
     
       7. The copolymer of  claim 1 , having a weight average molecular weight (MALLS/3D) within a range from 50,000 g/mole to 3,000,000 g/mole. 
     
     
       8. The copolymer of  claim 1 , having a MWD (weight average molecular weight/number average molecular weight) within a range from 1.1 to 10. 
     
     
       9. The copolymer of  claim 1 , wherein the copolymer comprises a comb structure. 
     
     
       10. A coating composition comprising the copolymer of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       11. The coating composition of  claim 10 , wherein volatile organic compounds are substantially absent. 
     
     
       12. A method of forming a copolymer comprising:
 combining two or more polymerizable monomers having the following structure: 
 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein:
 each R is independently selected from the group consisting of —O—Ar, —O—R″, an amine, and an alkyl amine, with the proviso that at least one polymerizable monomer comprises —O—Ar as R; 
 each Ar is independently selected from the group consisting of a C6 to C20 aryl, a C7 to C32 alkylaryl, a halogen substituted C6 to C20 aryl and a halogen substituted C7 to C32 alkylaryl; 
 each R″ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, a C1 to C10 alkyl, and a glycidyl; 
 each R′ is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a C1 to C10 alkyl, thus forming a polymer backbone; and 
 combining the polymer backbone with a vinyl-terminated polyolefin or a vinylidene-terminated polyolefin, each having a number average molecular weight of at least 300 g/mole, under alkylation conditions to form the copolymer. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the copolymer comprises the following structures: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       wherein each PO is independently the polyolefin having a number average molecular weight of at least 300 g/mole, n and m are each an integer independently within a range from 1 to 2000, and R and R′ are defined as set forth in  claim 12 . 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein each PO is indepdendently selected from the group consisting of ethylene homopolymer, copolymer of ethylene with one or more linear alpha olefins, propylene homopolymer, copolymer of propylene with one or more linear alpha olefins, isobutylene homopolymer, isobutylene copolymer with one or more conjugated dienes, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the combining (alkylation) of the polymer backbone with the vinyl-terminated polyolefin or vinylidene terminated polyolefin takes place in an solvent at a temperature within a range from 40° C. to 200° C. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of benzene, toluene, xylene, C5 to C20 alkanes, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of combining two or more polymerizable monomers is performed under free radical polymerization conditions or atom transfer radical polymerization conditions. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 12 , wherein a Lewis acid catalyst is present in the alkylation step of combining (alkylation) the polymer backbone with the vinyl-terminated polyolefin or the vinylidene-terminated polyolefin. 
     
     
       19. A method of forming a coating composition comprising combining the copolymer formed in  claim 12  with an aqueous composition, wherein volatile compounds are substantially absent.